Writing for Lord of the Flies: Fanfiction Guide
by LustForTheLetters
Summary: This was something I wanted to make to help out those who are new to writing Lord of the Flies. I talk about writing Girl on the Island stories, AU's, Post Island, and slash. If you are interested in writing Lord of the Flies stuff but aren't sure how to start, feel free to read! I want to help new authors :) (100reasonswhy has helped in writing this as well.)


**Lord of the Flies: Fanfiction Writing Guide.**

**Created by: LustForTheLetters (with help from writer, 100reasonswhy).**

Contents: (Sort Of)

- Intro

- How to Get Better with Characterization

- Subgenres

- Girl on the Island

- AU's/ Post Island

- Writing Slash

- Conclusion

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Writing for the Lord of the Flies fanbase has been an incredible experience for me: I have met some new people, got to read some amazing stories, and yes, learn to become a better writer. With my experiences that I have obtained, I have also come to realize that writing fanfiction can be extremely difficult at times. You have to watch where your characterization goes, whereas with your own personal fiction, you can do whatever you want (at least, the characterization doesn't feel as stressed). You'll also have to cautious that your writing feels genuine, and that it doesn't feel like it was made by a preschooler.

With the fanfiction from LoTF writers, I have come to believe that this is one of the harder bases to write for, since there are so many things you have to take into consideration while writing it. That is why I have decided to write a little bit of a guide for the newer writers of this fanbase. You can take it or leave it, this is mainly here to help the new writers and newer authors for the site.

Without further ado, let's get started!

**Characterization of Lord of the Flies and Why it's Important.**

This should seem like one of the more obvious things to talk about, but I feel as though I should have to point it out before going into the subgenres of the fanbase.

**_Characterization is not only important in LoTF, but in every single piece of fiction that you will ever write._**This line is true all the way down to the core, and writing the characters for LoTF is not so bad once you've gotten the characters down to a crisp, such as any other fanbase and their characters.

_**Nobody wants to read a fanfiction where their characters are OOC (out of character).**_

To help with understanding the characters of LoTF, here are some of my personal tips and suggestions:

**1.) Read the novel and take information from the characters into consideration.**

- This step is obviously important because, hello? You have to read the novel to even understand what these characters are doing here and why they're set up the way they are. Once you have read the pages, it will be ten times easier for you to understand the characters and their motives.

2.) **Reading other fanfiction will help – just find a good story (I will recommend some of my favorites along the way).**

- There are TONS of amazing authors out there in the LoTF fanbase. Finding a good story won't be too difficult – just learn from what they can do with their characters, and try using that into your own story. (Just don't copy the entire thing, have some original flair).

**3.) Remember that there is always the Internet to help you with characterization.**

**- **Wikipedia and other sites can give you information about the LoTF characters. Researching a little before you try to write anything is always a plus.

**Subgenres: (Different Kinds of LoTF Fanfiction).**

There are actually a lot of different subgenres out there for Lord of the Flies. I honestly have never suspected there to be so many my first time browsing this part of the website, and it's amazing what these authors can accomplish when they set their minds to something. That is why I would love to give some advice on particular forms of storytelling that you couldn't get anywhere else.

**Girl on the Island Stories:**

**(Definition): As it sounds, mainly. There are a plane full of boys that wreck on the island, and there happens to be one (or more than one) female passenger. The girl might not even be from the ship – she might have already been living on the island for quite some time. A story-type that can either be doomed from Mary Sueish characterization and a slow plot, or be an amazing masterpiece with amazing characters to match. **

There are a lot of things to say about this subgenre. Firstly, this kind is the most popular form of Lord of the Flies fanfiction that I have seen on . It seems to be getting more and more popular, with more new authors stepping up to the plate and showing what they can do.

Considering that I personally have never written a Girl on the Island story, I have my friend 100reasonswhy** (author of fanfics, "Crumble to Infinity," and the hilarious parodies, "Write Me a Letter," "Lord of the Maurice," and more)** giving me some information about what's important for writing for this subgenre,

**100reasonswhy: "I think one mistake many new writers make is rushing into things, particularly with relationships. Realistically, it takes a while for feelings/relationships to build. For example, when a new OC/OCS first meets said, 'love-interest (which here could be any of the boys from the book), they may find them attractive, but they won't immediately have feelings for them. Same with the love interest.**

**Jack isn't going to see some random girl who may (or may not) be his type and fall for her without getting to know her. I think authors also have to take the original character's personalities into consideration. I think the pace of the story and character relationships really compliment each other."**

I agree with everything that 100reasonswhy has to say, and yes, there are things that new writers have to realize when writing Girl on the Island stories. The characters have to sound as genuine as they sound in the novel – otherweise, people aren't going to give a crap about reading it. That doesn't mean you can't have some fun creating up some stuff for them – just remember not to alter their personalities too much to where it would be OOC.

"**Ralph is slightly careless, but also reserved. Jack is very indignant, but self-seeking. Roger is reclusive and quiet, and he isn't going to act like a sadist on the first day of the story. Same with Jack – he isn't going to be all wild and savage and Ralph isn't going to act hopeless as soon as the story begins."**

When writing a female character, it's very important to consider these things with the male characters. If you were to write a girl on the island story, you must be aware of the _**gradual savagery**_ that takes place during the novel, and you must apply that method in order to be accurate to the book. If you were to write it differently, then it wouldn't really have a LoTF feel to it, in my eyes.

**Writing Female Characters:**

When it comes to the actual writing of the character of the female, I am not going to tell you how to write her, for that would just be...well, it wouldn't do any good. The author herself (or himself) deserves to write their own characters without anyone else telling them how to write them. However, I would love to give some advice on how to write these characters efficiently and realistically.

**Important Factors:**

**Giving the character some flaws:**

This part is especially important because let's face it: All humans make mistakes. That should not be an exception towards your character, regardless of whether or not it's a girl or boy. There should be some sort of flaw, whether it's physical, emotional, or even mental (although all three mixed in together would make a sweet character). Therefore, make sure you take that into consideration when writing her.

**"When trying to muddle through flaws for OC's, some authors only use these faults whem they deem fit for their story. So like an OC who has social issues, for example, might only show that flaw at random spots in the story. Writers should stick to their OC's flaws through the entire duration of the story" (100reasonswhy)**

**Finding a balance:**

**"I think there has to be a practical balance of independence and dependence. Even with my OC, (Louise from "Crumble to Infinity"), sometimes I feel as if she's a little too dependent. The extreme of independence can create OC's that will inadvertently outshine the original cast of characters. The contrast of dependence can come across as boring and sometimes needy, so it's good to find a medium between the two." - (100reasonswhy)**

With this part, 100reasonswhy makes up a very good statement. You want to make your character not so dependent on the male characters, like Jack and Ralph. At the same time however, you should be careful that your character isn't so overwhelmingly independent that it overshadows the rest of the boys.

There is another thing about the independence too that I feel I should bring up. If you want to make a realistic character in a kind of situation where it's "survival of the fittest," then you should make her vulnerable (not too vulnerable to where she's crying all the time for her mother) in some way or another. In the kind of situation of Lord of the Flies (especially towards the end of the novel), some of the boys themselves start to show that they are really scared.

This shouldn't be an exception towards your female character. In one way or another, I think it's right for the female character to show she's scared too, even if she's too prideful or shy to admit it.

**Girl on the Island STORY RECCOMENDATIONS - **

"**Crumble to Infinity" - **100reasonswhy. This story is probably the best story to start out with when reading a girl on the island story.

"**Lady of the Flowers" - **Cocolada. If you want to read something that is made of multiple female characters, all with rich and wonderful personalities, read this.

**(100reasonwhy's recommendations):**

"**Primitive Impulse" - CircadianLily (Sorry if I mispelled that haha)**

"**Dirty Game" - Coco Sushi**

"**In the Forest of the Night" - luckynumber28**

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**AU'S/Post Island **

**(Definition: As it is with other fanfiction bases, an AU is a term meaning, "alternative universe." )**

This means that you take the characters of Lord of the Flies and mix it in with a different situation rather than the island. You want to talk about school? There you go, an AU. Dinner party with crazy Mexicans and Jack keeps throwing the party hats everywhere? There you go, an AU.

The first fanfiction that I have ever made, "Project Piggy," was an AU. It took place in high school, and it was focused around the movie, "Project X." (Simply because I found that movie quite humorous so I wanted to relate Lord of the Flies with it). Writing an AU can be a parody but at the same time, a lot of people have transformed the comedic idea into something more serious and enjoyable to read. It is my belief that having an AU is probably the best way to get people into a particular fanbase, especially one like Lord of the Flies, and there are so many different routes you can take!

Here are some tips for writing Lord of the Flies AU's:

**1.) Keep the characters into consideration.**

To make a powerful impact with a fanbase by writing an AU, remember that making an entirely new cast of characters isn't needed. All you have to remember is that using the characters, and using them right regardless of the situation they are in, makes a fun idea already for an AU. As long as you write the characters for Lord of the Flies the way they are presented in the book, then you're already well on your way for writing a good AU.

**2.) An AU can be anywhere from mediocre to fantastic just with the way you use your setting. Remember that Golding wrote the novel in the 50's, so the way the kids talked in the book is far different than the way they would take at this day and age.**

Another thing to remember is that the children are British, so of course they're going to talk differently if you're an American or foreign writer (if the person reading this is British themselves, than don't worry about the previous statement.) However, for an AU, there is also the concept of matching your setting with the way your characters interact. Say that you wanted to do a high school AU. Remember that the kids themselves are going to be in high school, so try to match that factor with the characters themselves. It may be hard at first, but I am sure you'll get the hang of it once you practice with it a little bit.

**3.) Remember that an AU doesn't have anything to do with an island unless you make it so. If you did make it so, than it would more than likely turn out to be a Post-Island story (a story that takes place after the events of the island). Therefore, your AU shouldn't have anything to do with the events on the island.**

**AU READING RECOMMENDATIONS:**

"**Janus" - **quillor (A new edition to the AU family, but a promising one that has a lot of potential. It's also very well done so far, so I say go for it!

"**Clue and Note," - **Katherine E- Kora

"**Problems" - Satan Abraham**

**Agnes Stewart (author) also has some good stuff you should check out.**

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**Writing Slash**

**(Definition: Slash is where you have two male characters of a particular fanbase and you pair them together romantically.)**

Now we get to the fun part of the guide. (Who am I kidding? This entire thing was fun to write). Now, firstly, if you do not like slash, than I recommend that you click the scroll button down towards the conclusion, simply because this will be the last part I will bring up before closing out.

There are some things I would like to discuss with the slash part of the fanfiction. For me personally, I feel as though you can either make it or break it with slash. One slight little turn of characterization gone wrong, and your one-shot or whatever piece of slash you are working on could suffer dearly. How could this happen, you may ask? Allow me to light on this subject.

**General things to Consider when Writing Slash.**

**1.) Remember that the boys in the novel are not yet at the age to be...lemon territory, so to say.**

This basically means that if you want a mature fanfiction...and when I mean mature, I mean lemon-y mature, you might want to age up your characters. I mean, the oldest of the boys is twelve years old, so it would be awkward to write a scene like that when they are so young, and so innocent. The entire premise of Lord of the Flies is the concept of innocence going into savagery, so remember that whenever you want to write a mature fiction.

*If you were to write an AU or something of the sort where the characters are older, do not worry about this tip.

**2.) Make sure that you realistically write the boys out to where they won't act too feminine. (Mainly in dialogue).**

Honestly I cannot stress this enough. It's alright to have a character with some feminine attributes – however, transforming a character into a girl pretty much is just not necessary (unless it was an AU and it was parody...that would make a very hilarious parody). These are boys on the island, and boys tend to be not as emotionally driven as girls do. So, consider the dialogue when writing from one character to another.

**3.) It's alright to take it slow.**

To build up a good relationship, especially in Girl on the Island stories and Slash stories, remember that the more time you build up a romantic relationship between two boys on the island, the better the outcome. Going straight at it in one chapter of a multi-chapter fiction isn't going to be as refreshing as a built relationship over a few chapters getting a good piece of time to settle the relationship in. Remember that time is key when writing a story, and you'll be surprised at how many people will be happy at your decision.

**SLASH STORY RECOMMENDATIONS:**

There are so many of these out there, but I will say my favorites.

**JALPH:**

"**Retribution" - **CircadianLily (Basically, it isn't JUST slash, but the parts of slash that do come into the story...they are the best bits of Jalph I have ever read. Take it from me, you'll love this.)

"**Love, Hate, and Jealousy" - **TomiSama04 **- **Not as serious I think as Retribution is, I still think this story is pretty well done for Slash lovers like myself. Plus, the Jalph in this is amazingly done.

"**Forget Me Not." - **PhoenixBlaze5 - This is an AU Slash fiction with Jack and Ralph, and I really enjoy it. I will admit that it goes a little on the slow side, but if you can forgive it for that, I still believe it really is worth the reading.

**ROGICE:**

"**A Matter of Taste" - **Collie Parkillo (I really love this one-shot. I think Collie and Satan were the two that really got me into Rogice.)

"**Holidays" - **Satan Abraham. (If you love Rogice, this is probably the most adorable thing to read.)

**There are many other one-shots and stories going around with other couples, such as Ralmon (Ralph and Simon), Rock/Joger (Jack and Roger), and there are minor characters coming into different views as well (Bill, Roger, etc). There are tons of good Slash out there, so it shouldn't take too much time to look into it.**

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**CONCLUSION:**

**I really hope that this guide helped some of you guys out. I care for the Lord of the Flies fanbase very much, and I love reading amazing stories about anything related to Lord of the Flies. However, I felt as though I wanted to help out some of the newer authors out there because I see a lot of potential in some of the new stories that could be elevated with a little bit of help. **

**Please tell me if you thought this guide was insightful enough for you guys, and thanks for reading! Good luck writing! :)**

**- LustForTheLetters.**

_** (Special Thanks for author 100reasonswhy for helping me write this. Without her help with the girl on the island section, I more than likely wouldn't have written it!)**_


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